Apparatus for filling cuts.



J. M. BURKE.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING CUTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1912.

1,068,312, Patented July 22,1913.

\Kgfl Attorneys.

llll lll ll hl JOHN IVL BURKE, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING CUTS.

resents.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1913.

Application filed May 7, 1912. Serial No. 895,610.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. BURKE, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the city of Scranton, county of Lackawanna, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus for Filling Cuts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatuses for filling depressions, such as ravines, cuts, or valleys, and for making roads, railway road beds, aqueducts, embankments, canals, etc.

The objects I have in view are to avoid the necessity of using false work, and to employ, instead, simple and easily erected and operated apparatus.

Further objects are to reduce the height of the towers which support the cable, to avoid the necessity of moving the anchors or dead men, at the ends oi the cable, and to simplify the adjustment of the parts, as the work progresses.

These and further objects will more fully appear from the following specification and accon'manying drawings, considered together or separately In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a cut, or depression, to be filled, and illustrating the supporting towers and cables at the preliminary stage of the work. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the operating parts assembled, also showing the beginning oi the till. Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing a lfurther stage of operation, with the fill about one-half completed. l ig. l is a side elevation of the supplemental tower, in posit-ion to be moved. Fig. is a trout elevation of the same, and Fig. 6 is a View similar to 4:, showing the supplemental tower when it is in fixed position.

Tn all of the views, like parts are desig nated by the same reference characters.

Referring to the dr:1.wings,-1 represents the cut, or depression, to be filled. This cut, or depression, may be of any depth or width, provided the width does not exceed the length 01? the" cable, and the height of the towers which support the same is suilicient to support the bight of the cable at the proper height. On one side of the cut is a tower 2; and on the opposite side is a tower 3. These towers are preferably made 01E metal. They are of such a height that the center part of the cable will be supported at a sutlicient elevation to retain the suspended bridge structure, to be described, at the proper elevation. The towers are preferably permanently fixed in position, as they do not have to be moved during the progress oi the work. 4 represents the embankment, or fill, which is made by dumping earth or rocks or other filling material from dumping cars supported upon suitable tracks about to be described. A cable 5, is stretched over the towers 2 and 3. In the embodiment chosen for illustration, there are two cables. lt apparent, however, that it desired, a single cable may be employed, with coi'inections with the suspended bridge structure, being so made as to be supported upon a single cable. The ends of the cables are anchored to suitable dead men 6. These diad men are buried in the ground at the proper place, so that the cables will have the requisite lead up to the tops of the towers. The. towers have side members, with an opening between them so that the track can be laid for the passage of the cars and locomotive to transport the material. to the till. These tracks extend to and are supported by the suspend ed bridge structure 7. This suspended bridge structure is preferably Flexible. so that it will yield when the cars pass upon it, owing to the bending otthe cable. Any suitable bridge structure can be employed. One suitable tor the purpose is illustrated in the patent of W. A. \Vood, No. 951,874, dated March 15, 1910. This suspended bridge structure is carried upon the pulleys (not shown) on the cable in such a manner that it may be moved along the latte as the work progresses. These pulleys are not illustrated, as they may be the same as those illustrated in. the l Vood patent before referred to.

It is apparent that as the work progresses, and the bridge structure is moved toward the place about halfway between the tmvcrs, the weight on the cable will bend the latter so that the bight oi? the cable will be extended below the level of the fill unless the towels 2 and 3 are made inconveniently high. To order to avoid this, and secure a su 'iport for the cable to lift the bight, l: utilize the supplemental tower 8. This tower is adapted to support the cable or cables between the fixed towers 2 and 3. The supplemental tower is formed of side members, comprising legs 16, connected together by a cross member 18, at the top. The side members are separated so that the rails 9 can be laid between them. They are also separated for the purpose of allowing the cars and loco motive to pass through the supplemental tower so that they can pass to the suspended bridge structure.

The supplemental tower is supported upon side stringers 10. These side stringers rest upon the embankment 4. The base of the supplemental tower is composed of a base beam 11, on each side, above and parallel with the side stringers 10. This base beam is of suflicient length to afford an adequate supporting foundation for the tower, and so that it will not turn over endwise.

The bottoms of the base beams 11 are preferably provided with metal shoes 12, to resist wear and injury to the wood. Rollers 13, engage with the shoes and support the supplemental tower. These rollers are carried upon the side stringers 10. By means of these rollers, the supplemental tower can be moved. When the tower is in position after being adjusted, it is preferably raised by means of jacks, and blocks 14 are inserted between the side stringers and base beam (see Fig. 6). In this position the weight is taken off the rollers and the supplemental tower is immovably held in position. The cables (two being shown in the embodiment chosen for illustration) pass over the supplemental tower and rest upon the saddles 17.

As the work progresses, the suspended bridge structure is moved forward in order to allow the cars to be dumped further into the cut. In order to keep the cable at proper elevation, it is necessary to move the supplemental tower further toward the direction in which the suspended bridge structure is being moved. This movement of the supplemental tower is accomplished by jacking it up enough to allow the blocks 14 to be removed and to allow the tower to rest upon the rollers 13. The tower may then be moved along the stringers 10. The cables resting upon the saddles 17 will be supported at the same time. Any tendency of the supplemental tower to tilt over endwise or siclewise will be resisted by the weight of the cable and the weight of the suspended bridge structure upon it.

Cross beams 15 are inserted at intervals so that they will be under the legs 16 when the tower is in position. They prevent the settling of the tower in the embankment. They also support the tower in the event of the sides of the embankment being washed away. The cross beams 15 are laid upon the top of the embankment at the proper places, the size and number of these beams depending upon the width of the cut, and also upon the character of the material forming the embankment. Enough of these beams are employed so that an adequate and firm foundation is produced for the supplemental tower.

In Fig. 5, the outline of one side of the embankment as it should be, is illustrated by dotted lines. The solid lines represent the shape that the embankment sometimes as sumes owing to the action of rain, frost, or other causes. In this situation, although one side of the embankment may be washed away almost completely, one side of the supplemental tower will be supported by means of the cross beams 15. Owing to the pressure of the cables upon the top of the supplemental tower, the latter will have no tendency to turn over sidewise.

In practice, owing to the very great weights which must be handled, it is necessary to have devices which can be actuated by simple and strong mechanism. As an example of a structure with 1,000 feet span, the towers 2 and 3 may be feet high. Assuming that the cables are of 2. inches plow steel wire, and that the suspended bridge structure will support about eight cars, then the weight of the cables and structure, Without the cars, will be approximately 20 tons. Gf this amount, as much as 10 tons will be supported upon the supplemental tower. The weight of the supplemental tower,'however, and its height, will be considerably less than that of the fixed towers. In use with a 1,000 foot span and fixed towers of 70 feet in height, the supplemental tower need not be more than 30 feet in height. It

may also be made of wood. It is, therefore,

very much easier to move than either of the end towers will be. Furthermore, the latter will retain the cables in position while the supplemental tower is being moved. The fact that the supplemental tower has a broad base, not only prevents it from tilting over endwise, but furnishes shoes for action of the rollers. The tower may, therefore, be more expeditiously moved when its position is being shifted. I regard it as very important to have the supplemental tower of such form that it will always remain vertical and in contact with the wire cables. This tower, therefore, does not have to be lowered, when it is moved, and then raised. If such were the case, it could not be raised without the use of a crane, der- 1 rick, or some other device which would be difficult of application upon the embankment, and which would entail delay and expense in its use.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, 1 have described the principle of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparat-us shown is merely illustrative and that the invention can be carried out in other ways.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A means for extending fillings, having a fixed tower on opposite sides of the cut to be filled; a cable connecting the towers; a bridge structure suspended from the cable, between the towers, and capable of adjustment along the cable as the work progresses; a supplemental tower of less height than the fixed towers, located between one of the fixed towers and the bridge structure, said supplemental tower engaging with the cable and supporting the same; and means for moving said supplemental tower in the direction toward the other fixed tower as the work progresses, said means permitting the movement of the said supplemental tower while in engagement with and supporting the cable.

2. A means for extending fillings, having a fixed tower on opposite sides of the cut to be filled; a cable connecting the towers; a bridge structure suspended from the cable, between the towers, and capable of adjustment along the cable as the work progresses; a supplemental tower of less height than the fixed towers located between one of the fixed towers and the bridge structure, said supplemental tower engaging with the cable and supporting the same, said supplemental tower having an extended base, in the direction parallel to the cable; and means for moving the said supplemental tower in the direction toward the other fixed tower, as the work progresses, said means permitting the movement oi the supplemental tower while in engagement with and supporting the cable.

3. A means for extending fillings, having a fixed tower on opposite sides of the cut to be filled; a cable connecting the towers; a bridge structure suspended from the cable, between the towers, and capable of adjust-- ment along the cable as the work progresses; a supplemental tower of less height than the fixed towers located between one of the fixed towers and the bridge structure, said supplemental tower engaging with the cable and supporting the same, said supplemental tower having an extended base in the direction parallel to the cable; side stringers below the base of said supplemental tower, and parallel therewith; and rollers between said stringers and said base.

4-. A means for extending fillings, having a fixed tower on opposite sides of the cut to be filled; a cable connecting the towers; a bridge structure suspended from the cable, between the towers, and capable of adjustment along the cable as the work progresses; a supplemental tower of less height than the fixed towers, located between one of the fixed towers and the bridge structure, said supplemental tower engaging with the cable and supporting the same, said supplemental tower having an extended base, in the direction parallel to the cable; means for moving said supplemental tower in the direction to ward the other fixed tower as the work progresses, said means permitting the movement of the supplemental tower while in engage ment with and supporting the cable; side stringers below the base of said supplemental tower, and parallel therewith; and cross beams extending through the embankment and engaging with and supporting the side stringers.

This specification signed and witnessed this 30th day of April, 1912.

JOHN M. BURKE.

lVitnesses 2 lVM. F. Borne, A. WV. BROADBENT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

